A Separation
Directed by Asghar Farhadi
Released December 30, 2011
This Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay very much earned its mentions. Its fascinating first scene features a woman, Simin (Leila Hatami) pleading with an uninterested judge for a divorce from her husband Nader (Peyman Moadi). As the film progresses, however, it becomes much more than that, following the aftermath of Simin’s departure and the arrival of a caretaker, Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to watch over Nader’s father, who has Alzheimer’s, and his young daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). This is easily one of the most gripping non-thriller dramas produced by any country in recent years, investing in each one of its characters without offering a clear opinion on whether their actions and motivations are good or bad, pure or evil. The performances are magnificent all-around, particularly from the unhappy couple but also from Bayat and Shahab Hosseini, who plays her jobless husband Hodjat. In addition to telling an intriguing story, “A Separation” offers a bleak picture of the Iranian justice system, presented literally in the form of one impatient judge sitting at a desk. “A Separation” is genuine, honest, and utterly captivating.
A-
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